The Governor And The Turkeys

In this priceless vid, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin discusses her political career after symbolically pardoning a turkey at the Triple D Farms in Wasilla. Meanwhile, a guy slaughters the pardoned gobbler's wattled brethren in the background...and MSNBC has some fun with the captions.

The uncensored version is here.

-- Evie Stone

12:09 PM ET | 11-21-2008 | permalink

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Lady Talk

National Review's Rich Lowry interviewed McCain campaign manager Rick Davis for a campaign post-mortem (sick of those yet?) in the upcoming issue of the magazine. He posted a few of the more striking takeaways on the NRO's The Corner blog. One that particularly caught my eye:

On the Couric interview, which Davis says Palin thought would be softer because she was being interviewed by a woman: "She was under the impression the Couric thing was going to be easier than it was. Everyone's guard was down for the Couric interview."

If true, that strikes me as remarkably misguided -- not to mention disappointing coming from a self-described "pitbull" who, if elected, could have found herself in some very tough negotiations. (Should she have been expected to go easy on Dmitry Medvedev?) In fact, I see every reason to have assumed the opposite -- that, as a woman, Couric could actually be tougher on Palin than a male interviewer could because she ran less of a risk of seeming bullying or condescending (as ABC's Charles Gibson did at times during his Palin sitdown, peering over his spectacles like a disappointed college professor when Palin failed to answer his questions in a satisfactory manner).

What's more, Couric had high stakes of her own. CBS usually ranks a distant third in the network news ratings wars. But given the interest in the GOP VP nominee about 10% more people tuned in to the Palin interview broadcasts than had watched CBS evening news the previous week (and that's not counting the millions of internet users who viewed the clips online). Since Couric took over the CBS newscast in fall of 2006, reviews of her performance have been decidedly mixed -- leading to rumors this spring that her job was on the chopping block. Softballing Palin could only make her look like a lightweight and generate even more criticism of her news cred. But giving a tough, fair, newsy interview could potentially convince some new viewers to stick around -- and prove her mettle while everyone was watching. And she pulled it off.

But, no. Female interviewer = softer. Not the biggest mistake the McCain campaign made, but a telling one nonetheless.

-- Evie Stone

4:38 PM ET | 11-14-2008 | permalink

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Obamas On 60 Minutes

Barack Obama will give his first post-election interview to 60 minutes correspondent Steve Kroft. Michelle Obama will also be included in the interview. The First Couple-elect will sit down with Kroft in Chicago tomorrow, and the interview will air during the show's Sunday evening broadcast.

-- Evie Stone

4:18 PM ET | 11-13-2008 | permalink

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Palin Pals Around With Blitzer, Discusses Future

In another stop on her post-election media tour, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin visits The Situation Room this evening and tells CNN's Wolf Blitzer that she would consider it an "honor" to serve in an Obama administration...but also stands by her campaign attacks on Obama's relationship with former Weather Underground member Bill Ayers. From the Political Ticker:

"And I speak for other Republicans and Republican governors, also," said Palin, whom Sen. John McCain tapped as his running mate in August. "They would be willing also to seize this opportunity that we have to progress this nation together, in a united front."

But asked moments later about some of the tough rhetoric she hurled from the stump, she said she was "still concerned" about Obama's ties to former Weather Underground member-turned-Chicago college professor William Ayers.

"If anybody still wants to talk about it, I will," she said. "Because this is an unrepentant domestic terrorist who had campaigned to blow up, to destroy our Pentagon and our U.S. Capitol.

"That's an association that still bothers me, and I think it's fair to still talk about it," she continued. "However the campaign is over. That chapter is closed. Now is the time to move on and make sure all of us are doing all that we can to progress this nation."

Curious. We suspect that as long as she keeps hammering Ayers, the offers to serve the Obama administration won't be forthcoming.

Politico adds that Palin pricked up ears with an incomplete answer when Blitzer pressed her on a possible impending Senate opening in Alaska. Her squishy response:

I believe that I have -- I feel I have a contract with Alaskans to serve. I've got two more years in my term. I'm going to serve Alaskans to the best of my ability. At this point it is as governor.

Now if something shifted dramatically and if it were, if it were acknowledged up there that I could be put to better use for my state in the U.S. Senate, I would certainly consider that, but that would take a special election and everything else. I am not one to appoint myself or a member of my family to take the place of any vacancy.

If convicted felon Ted Stevens is declared the winner of that as-yet-undecided race and is forced to resign, the state will in fact be required to hold a special election to fill the vacancy. Alaska's onetime practice of Governors using appointments to fill such open seats was discontinued after Palin's predecessor Frank Murkowski appointed his daughter Lisa to his Senate seat when he was elected Governor in 2002. So Palin would not be allowed to appoint herself to finish out Stevens' term even if she wanted to.

(The NRSC denies having recruited her for the seat...but its job in the short-term is still to ensure a Stevens victory.)

Tomorrow Palin will address the Republican Governors Association meeting in Miami about the future of the GOP writ large. Pundits, partisans, and even casual observers will be listening for clues about where she sees herself in that future.

-- Evie Stone

3:57 PM ET | 11-12-2008 | permalink

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Frontiers In Television

CNN's experiment with hologram interviews turned out even more weird and 70s sci-fi-ish than I imagined!

"You're a hologram now, Jessica."

-- Evie Stone

2:28 AM ET | 11- 5-2008 | permalink

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Are You Ready For Some Election? (Part Deux)

So Washington Post sports columnist Mike Wise wrote this great column Friday in which he actually polled most of the Washington Redskins on their choice for President.

And lo and behold, it turns out most of the 'skins are backing Barack Obama -- 28 for Obama to 9 for McCain, with 7 undecided as of last week. This is not insignificant -- Virginia, where the Redskins training facility is located, is a key state in this election. And, as cornerback Fred Smoot told the AP, it's not such an easy choice for these well-paid gridiron stars: "We're coming from Democratic backgrounds, but we got Republican money right now."

For all his careful reporting, however, Wise neglected to ask the most obvious question: does their support for Obama mean the Washington players will, if not actually throw tonight's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, then maybe not play so hard? Because history says in order for Obama to win, the 'skins must lose.

Last week, Evie mentioned what has become known as the "Redskins Rule." It goes like this: If the Redskins win their last home game prior to Election Day, the party that won the popular vote in the previous election wins the White House; if the Redskins lose, the party that lost the popular vote in the previous election wins. It's predicted the winner of every presidential race since 1937, when the Redskins first began playing in the nation's capital.

Now, it's pretty easy to figure out who the candidates themselves (who will be appearing in interviews at halftime) will be rooting for -- at least publicly. Both of them dearly want to win Pennsylvania and the western half of the state, home to all those Steelers fans, is swing territory. Besides, D.C. and Maryland (where the Redskins actually play these days) are safe Obama territory anyway.

And what about all those Obama fans in the stands tonight at Fed-Ex field? Well, it's an AFC game so it counts less in the standings; the 'skins are 6-2 going into their bye week; a loss wouldn't be all that catastrophic at this point. And there are plenty of Republicans rooting for the home team, too. But don't be surprised if there's a little less enthusiasm than usual from the ferociously loyal capital crowd.

-- Julie Rovner

2:46 PM ET | 11- 3-2008 | permalink

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Duberstein Endorses Obama

Former Reagan chief of staff Ken Duberstein tells Fareed Zakaria that he will vote for Barack Obama. Duberstein lambasted McCain for selecting Sarah Palin on MSNBC today.

Yesterday on Talk of the Nation, Lawrence Eagleburger -- Bush 41's Secretary of State -- said he will vote for McCain even though he does not believe Sarah Palin is "prepared to take over the brains* reins of the presidency." He added that, given some training, she would be "adequate".

-- Evie Stone

*We apologize for the error. NPR's rush transcript was inaccurate.

3:22 PM ET | 10-31-2008 | permalink

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Help Me, Wolf Blitzer -- You're My Only Hope

Via USAT, CNN plans to outdo its primary-season technological adventures with floating pie charts by interviewing hologram versions of talking heads on election night. You read that right. HOLOGRAMS.

It's election night, and CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer is in New York talking to an Obama campaign strategist in Chicago.

But instead of the split screen or window TV viewers might typically see during live remote interviews, the Obama spokesperson will be projected as a three-dimensional hologram, making it appear as if he or she is in the Manhattan studio with Blitzer. The network plans to conduct similar holographic interviews with representatives from the McCain campaign in Phoenix.

Truly outrageous.

-- Evie Stone

6:52 PM ET | 10-30-2008 | permalink

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He Who Shall Not Be Named

In an interview with CNN, McCain spokesman Michael Goldfarb goes through awkward contortions to imply Jeremiah Wright without actually uttering his name.

Goldfarb's performance here also seems to remove any lingering question marks about whether this week's revival of a 6 month old LA Times story about Obama's friendship with a Palestinian scholar was intended to send a last-minute message to Jewish voters. Jews make up about 5% of the electorate in the crucial swing state of Florida, where polls show the race too close to call. Both McCain and Obama campaigned in Florida yesterday.

-- Evie Stone

h/t Ben Smith

6:12 PM ET | 10-30-2008 | permalink

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Are You Ready For Some Election?

ESPN announces it will air satellite interviews with both Barack Obama and John McCain during the halftime show of next week's Monday Night Football. The featured game is Redskins vs. Steelers, at FedEx field here in Washington. The election-eve broadcast gives both candidates the opportunity for a last-minute pitch to a large audience; espn.com says MNF has averaged more than 12 million weekly viewers this season.

But even if you aren't a football fan, you might want to pay attention to this game. It seems the Redskins have a history as a bellwether of sorts:

The Redskins, in fact, are an accurate barometer for presidential elections. According to Steve Hirdt of the Elias Sports Bureau, who coined the term "Redskins Rule" in 2000, the following bromide has held true for the past 17 presidential elections: If the Redskins win their last home game prior to Election Day, the party that won the popular vote in the previous election wins the White House; if the Redskins lose, the party that lost the popular vote in the previous election wins.

In this Monday's case, a Steelers win would forecast an Obama victory; a Redskins win would indicate a McCain win.

Julie Rovner's Redskins are currently 6-2, and are seeded second in the NFC East. David Greene's Steelers are 5-2 and lead the AFC North.

-- Evie Stone

3:44 PM ET | 10-30-2008 | permalink

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Baltimore Tunes In To Politics

Nielsen's preliminary ratings show that Barack Obama's 30-minute special last night garnered 21.7% of TV viewing eyeballs -- 26.4 million viewers -- across the three broadcast networks that carried it. (In comparison, about 17 million viewers, or 9% of 18-49 year olds, watched Cloris Leachman get booted off Dancing With The Stars on Tuesday.) The highest Obama viewership came in Baltimore, where 31.3% of viewers watched the infomercial.

Our David Folkenflik -- a onetime denizen of Tuscany-Canterbury -- notes that Baltimoreans also topped the list in debate-watching this year.

Who knew Charm City was such a hotbed of political TV viewing? Theories about what's behind the Baltimore numbers welcomed in the comments.

-- Evie Stone

12:43 PM ET | 10-30-2008 | permalink

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30 Minutes Of Obama

As the campaigns are fond of saying..."in case you missed it":

Notably absent: any mention of John McCain.

-- Evie Stone

8:45 PM ET | 10-29-2008 | permalink

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Political Infomercials, a History

With Obama's 30-minute ad airing tonight, we thought we'd take a look back at other candidates who've used such large chunks of TV time to get out their message. Of course, the last presidential hopeful to use this tactic was Ross Perot -- way back in 1992:

The chances of Obama using a pie chart and pointing apparatus... slim to none. Plus, Perot's ads didn't air so close to election day.

However, the 1968 presidential race offers some precedent for the last-minute, long-form prime-time appeal to the American people. On the eve of the election, Richard Nixon bought two hours -- from 9-11pm EST -- for an estimated $400,000 on NBC. He took questions telephoned in by viewers. His opponent, Vice-President Hubert Humphrey, purchased time slots on three networks, the largest on CBS from 8:30 to 10:30pm EST. The next morning, the NYT dubbed it a "remote debate," noting that the candidates were in Los Angeles studios only twelve miles apart. From the NYT on Nov. 5, 1968:

On his National Broadcasting Company telethon tonight, Mr. Nixon said:

"I have read news dispatches that an Air Force general said that the North Vietnamese are moving thousands of tons of supplies down the Ho Chi Minh Trail [through Laos] and that our bombers are unable to stop them."

Mr. Nixon did not identify the general and offered no additional details.

Moments later, Mr. Humphrey, having been informed of the Republican nominee's comments, broke into the format of his American Broadcasting Company program to denounce what Mr. Nixon had said as "a totally unsubstantiated charge."

The LATimes reported that the candidates' specials -- Nixon, Humphrey, and Independent candidate George Wallce -- would pre-empt all prime-time programs.

On a side note, the World Series was over by October 10th that year.

(h/t Kee Malesky & Ken Rudin)

-- Thomas Pierce

UPDATE: I should have also mentioned Adlai Stevenson's preference for 30-minute advertisements in his 1952 run for the White House. Radio Diaries had a piece two weeks ago comparing the candidates' use of TV in that election. Dwight Eisenhower, Stevenson's opponent, preferred shorter sound bites and jingles. Stevenson delivered an address on the night before the election. But he'd only paid for 30 minutes, and time ran out, cutting him off prematurely.

(h/t Justine Kenin)

11:52 AM ET | 10-29-2008 | permalink

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Scott McClellan Endorses Obama

Via the AP:

Scott McClellan, President Bush's former press secretary, says he is backing Barack Obama for president.

McClellan made the endorsement during a taping of Comedian D.L. Hughley's new show that is premiering on CNN this weekend. The former Bush administration official said he wanted to support the candidate that has the best chance for changing the way Washington works and getting things done.

He's the second former Bush administration figure this week to publicly back Obama, following former Secretary of State Colin Powell. McClellan caused bitterness among his former co-workers with a tell-all book that criticized Bush.

-- Evie Stone

6:13 PM ET | 10-23-2008 | permalink

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Obama Camp Buys 30 TV Minutes

The Obama campaign confirms to NPR's David Greene that they've purchased 30 minutes of prime-time October 29th on CBS and NBC -- and possibly Fox if there's no World Series game that night. But their lips are sealed about what they're planning to do with the half-hour block. Infomercial? Biographical documentary? Dick Van Dyke Show rerun hosted by Michelle? One thing's for darn sure: if they've got money to shell out for a half-hour block on multiple networks, the fund-raising is going swimmingly.

Baseless speculation on how they'll fill the half hour welcomed in the comments.

-- Evie Stone

5:44 PM ET | 10- 9-2008 | permalink

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Off-the-Cuff but On The Record

Sunday, on ABC's "This Week," John McCain was asked about an unscripted (but videotaped) comment Sarah Palin made while shaking hands with supporters. He said the comment, in which Palin seemed to support Barack Obama's position towards bombing terrorist targets in Pakistan, shouldn't be taken too seriously:

All this business of, in all due respect, people going around, sticking a microphone while conversations are being held, and all of a sudden, that's a person's position, it's a free country, but I don't think most Americans think that's a definitive policy statement.

Of course, that hasn't stopped the McCain campaign of making political hay over a similar, unscripted rope line comment from Joe Biden. The Democratic vice presidential hopeful told an environmentalist in Maumee, Ohio earlier this month that he wasn't supporting "clean coal," even though the Obama campaign is on record in favor of clean coal.

Here's the latest attack ad from McCain -- this one is tailored to run in Colorado, but there are also versions of the ad running in other coal-rich battleground states including Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

As we noted last week, the Obama campaign does support investment in clean coal technology, as part of its ten-year, $150 billion dollar initiative to develop clean energy of all kinds. (McCain proposes $2 billion per year in federal subsidies for clean coal, plus more limited funding for "basic research" on wind, tide, and solar energy.) "The Obama-Biden Department of Energy is committed to developing five 'first-of-a-kind' commercial scale coal-fired plants with carbon capture and sequestration here in the United States," says Biden spokesman David Wade.

Coal generates a lot of political heat because it supplies more than half the nation's electricity and is a significant contributor of greenhouse gases -- and because five of the leading coal-producing states (Pennsylvania, Virginia, Colorado, New Mexico, and Ohio) are battlegrounds in the November election.

-- Scott Horsley

2:18 PM ET | 09-29-2008 | permalink

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Couric Questions Palin on Russia and Foreign Policy

CBS has released a teaser for the second installment of Katie Couric's interview with Sarah Palin, which will air on tonight's Evening News. In it, Couric asks Palin about the Alaska Governor's much-derided assertion that her state's proximity to Russia bolsters her foreign policy credentials. Palin explains:

Palin: Well, it certainly does, because our, our next-door neighbors are foreign countries, there in the state that I am the executive of. And there...

Couric: Have you ever been involved in any negotiations, for example, with the Russians?

Palin: We have trade missions back and forth, we do. It's very important when you consider even national-security issues with Russia. As Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where do they go? It's Alaska. It's just right over the border. It is from Alaska that we send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right next to, they are right next to our state.

The video of the excerpt is after the jump.

-- Evie Stone

UPDATE: Context that's worth noting -- Fort Greely in Alaska is the hub of the U.S.'s missile defense system, and it is manned by the Alaska National Guard. But even though Palin is the commander-in-chief of the Alaska Guard, she doesn't oversee operations at Ft. Greely -- that responsibility lies with the U.S. military. In any case, NPR's Mike Shuster had a fascinating report on the controversial interceptors -- which are "designed to intercept intercontinental ballistic missiles carrying nuclear warheads" -- earlier this week on Morning Edition.

Continue reading "Couric Questions Palin on Russia and Foreign Policy" »

4:20 PM ET | 09-25-2008 | permalink

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SNL Pokes Fun At McCain, Ads

Saturday Night Live opened up the show with punch lines at the McCain camp's expense. It's the second time in as many weeks. Last week it was Tina Fey playing Gov. Sarah Palin. This week targets the top of the ticket. McCain's repeated use of "My friends" and the perception that he is a technophobe play starring roles.

-- Michael Olson

11:39 AM ET | 09-21-2008 | permalink

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Palin Talks Economy, Social Issues With Gibson

Episode IV in the remarkably-milked ABC interview with Sarah Palin aired on this evening's World News Tonight. A longer version will be on 20/20. While last night's interview focused on foreign policy, tonight Palin talked domestic issues with anchor Charles Gibson. But the quote that's getting the most play (because apparently no one can let go of the Democratic primary) is about Barack Obama not selecting Hillary Clinton to be his running-mate:

I think he's regretting not picking her now. I do. What determination! And grit, and even grace through some tough shots that were fired her way. She handled those well.

Gibson opened by asking Palin what three specific things she would do to change the Bush economic policies. It's hard to tell from the WNT broadcast because the interview was so heavily edited, but it seemed as if Palin spoke pretty platitudinously about the economy rather than offering specifics. She had the unemployment figure (6.1%) at her fingertips, but her overall answer was a general one.

We need to put government back on the side of the people, and make sure that it is not government solely looked at for all the solutions, for one. Government has got to get out of the way, in some respects, of the private sector, being able to create the jobs we need. Jobs that are going to allow for the families to be able to afford health care, to be able to afford their mortgages, to be able to afford college tuition for their kids. That's got to be the principle here. Reform government. Recognize that it's not government to be looked at to solve all the problems.

Continue reading "Palin Talks Economy, Social Issues With Gibson" »

7:23 PM ET | 09-12-2008 | permalink

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McCain Cooks from the Inside Out

Rachael Ray went a little easier on John McCain than the View ladies did this morning. In a live-to-tape interview that will air Monday morning, Ray engaged the nominee and his wife on nuclear power, the economy, and Sarah Palin (Cindy McCain: "They really are a perfect fit").

Then they got down to cooking the ribs. (Insert obvious "but there was a different kind of grilling in store!" joke here.) McCain, a well-known grillmaster, told Ray he plans to keep grills at the White House and Camp David, and will man them himself.

Press pooler Michael Shear of the Washington Post describes the scene:

Ray gave Cindy a Navy apron with the words, "KISS THE CANDIDATE" in white on it. She gave him a peck and then put it on him. Ray told the audience that she had just learned that McCain likes to buy his ribs at Costco, to which she expressed surprise. "I've been to Costco, I just never pictured you guys..."

When the segment started, McCain explained how he makes his ribs: 1/3 of each: salt, pepper and garlic. Rubs them in 8-10 hours ahead and then puts the ribs on the grill, bone down for more than an hour. He also squeezes lemon juice on it, he said, to keep the meat moist.

"You want the heat to come into the bone and cook from the inside out," he explained.

Noted.

-- Evie Stone

5:16 PM ET | 09-12-2008 | permalink

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Grill-Marks for McCain after View Appearance

John McCain visited the ladies of The View this morning. The show targets McCain's new favorite demographic: women. And this was not a Michelle Obama-style interview about pantyhose -- the hosts delved right into Gov. Palin's qualifications and records, the McCain campaign's recent attack ads, and abortion policy.

Barbara Walters opened the interview with questions about Sarah Palin's qualifications for the Vice-Presidency, asking exactly how she would reform Washington. McCain said as Governor of Alaska Palin "took government out of the hands of the special interests and the oil companies and the old-boy network and gave it back to the people of Alaska." He compared Palin's record of taking on special-interests to his own, adding "I have not been elected Miss Congeniality every year."

Vocal Democrat Joy Behar did not mince words at that point, telling the candidate (whom at one point she called "John"), "I don't see the old John McCain who really used to buck the system as much. Because, I understand why, you want to get elected." McCain took that jab well, laughing as the audience applauded. But he challenged Behar right back: "I've been through this litany before. What specifically have I quote-unquote changed?"

Continue reading "Grill-Marks for McCain after View Appearance" »

12:14 PM ET | 09-12-2008 | permalink

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Palin: 'I Am Ready'

GOP VP nominee Sarah Palin has given her first media interview since her selection as John McCain's running mate nearly two weeks ago. ABC's Charlie Gibson is spending a couple of days with Palin in Alaska, and airing pieces of the interviews over the course of several ABC News programs today and tomorrow. The excerpts on this evening's World News Tonight mainly dealt with national security -- considered an area of vulnerability for the Alaska governor.

Overall this first glimpse at the interview was a bit of a cringer for both Gibson and Palin. In an attempt not to seem overbearing, Gibson at times came across as patronizing. And Palin, obviously working hard to stick to her talking points, seemed blustery and at other moments evasive.

Gibson opened with what he called "the central question" of the campaign:

Can you look the country in the eye and say, "I have the experience and I have the ability to be not just Vice President but perhaps President of the United States of America"?

Palin's response: "I do Charlie...I'm ready." Gibson followed up by asking whether she hesitated when McCain asked her to be his running mate. Palin said no. "I thought yes right off the bat."

Continue reading "Palin: 'I Am Ready'" »

7:37 PM ET | 09-11-2008 | permalink

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